By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Former State Minister and UDP leader Bires Nongsiej passed away at his residence at Mawkyrwat on Tuesday morning due to illness. He was 61.
According to family sources, Nongsiej suffered from fever at around 4 am on Tuesday and he passed away a while later before the relatives could take him to the nearby hospital.
He is survived by his wife and eleven children.
The funeral would be held on Thursday at the Mawkyrwat Presbyterian church cemetery at 1 pm.
Besides being active in the State politics, Nongsiej was also a prominent church leader of Mawkyrwat Presbyterian Church.
Late Nongsiej was elected for the first time as an MLA from Mawkyrwat in 1988 on a HPU ticket. He was again elected in 1998 and 2003 after contesting from the UDP. However, in the last two Assembly elections in 2008 and 2013, the veteran UDP leader failed to make a comeback.
Deputy Chief Minister and sitting MLA from Mawkyrwat, Rowel Lyngdoh, expressed shock over the sudden demise of Nongsiej.
“I would like to send my condolence to the family members of the veteran political leader,” Lyngdoh said.